If you’re thinking about moving to an active adult community in the Southeast, and you’re also a huge sports fan, then you most likely already know about the major pro and college sports teams in North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, and Tennessee. To help you in your search for the perfect 55+ community, we’ve compiled a list of the communities closest to sports-affiliated cities in the region.
North Carolina
North Carolina not only has a bevy of professional sports teams but a lot of sports to watch in general. The Charlotte Motor Speedway is just outside of Charlotte in Concord where NASCAR is in full force. If you’re curious about the history of NASCAR, the NASCAR Hall of Fame is located in Uptown, Charlotte.
Sticking to the four biggest sports leagues in the country, Charlotte is home to the NBA’s Charlotte Hornets as well as the NFL’s Carolina Panthers.
Despite it’s warm weather, hockey is big in North Carolina. When it comes to the thrilling action and occasional fights on the ice, Charlotte is just a couple of hours away from Raleigh, which has its own NHL team, the Carolina Hurricanes.
When it comes to college teams, the University of North Carolina at Charlotte has the Charlotte 49ers, with teams in football, basketball, baseball, and soccer. And let’s not forget about Duke, home of the Blue Devils in Durham and the Tar Heels at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
Popular Charlotte Communities
Popular Durham Communities
Popular Chapel Hill Communities
South Carolina
While South Carolina has no major professional sports franchises, the NFL’s Carolina Panthers, the NBA’s Charlotte Hornets, and the NHL’s Carolina Hurricanes represent both North and South Carolina.
NASCAR has a presence in South Carolina, thanks to the Darlington Raceway in the town of Darlington, which hosts NASCAR’s Labor Day weekend classic and the Southern 500. It also hosts the Whelen, Xfinity Series, and Cup Series races.
As for college sports, football and basketball are big in this state. The University of South Carolina’s Gamecocks in Columbia and Clemson University’s Tigers are big rivals, with their games typically drawing more than 80,000 fans at the schools’ home football games. The rivalry, known as the Battle of the Palmetto State, is legendary.
